Local comic book pioneer dies

Joe Sarno, a pioneering comic book fan and retailer in the Chicago area, died today after a long illness.

Mr. Sarno was a science fiction fan dating back to the 1950s and in 1969 started a club, The Fantasy Collectors of Chicago, in the basement of his Albany Park home that turned into a marketplace for fans to trade and sell comics, according to Mike Gold, a long-time friend and fellow comics fan.

In 1971 Mr. Sarno's basement became one of the nation's first dedicated comic book stores, Gold said, and about a year later he opened a retail location: The Nostalgia Shop on Lawrence Avenue near Pulaski Road.

The Nostalgia Shop evolved into Comic Kingdom, Gold said, and it changed and added locations until March 1, 2003, when age, health and a diminishing market found Mr. Sarno moving his operation to the Internet.

Mr. Sarno was a co-founder of the original Chicago Comicon, helping produce what became a top comic book convention. Long since sold to Wizard World, Mr. Sarno made one of his last public appearances at the 2009 show, Gold said. His exact age at his death was not available.

Mr. Sarno died at his Northwest Side home. He is survived by his wife Joan and his children Laura, Jamie, and Adrienne.

Funeral information was not immediately available, but a special tribute will be held at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in McCormick Place on April 17 at 12:15 p.m., Gold said.